By the end of the year, Russia can export 2 million tons of grain from the occupied territories

Russia can take out about 1.8 million tons of Ukrainian grain from the occupied territories by the end of the year. Experts interviewed by German broadcaster NDR say it could be a war crime.

Such estimates are provided by the investigative department of the German broadcaster NDR with reference to Russian documents, satellite images and information on the movement of ships that it has at its disposal, reports Deutsche Welle.

According to him, since the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine, about 1 million tons have already been shipped from the seaports of the annexed Crimea: about 20 ships with wheat and other grains left Sevastopol. Most of the cargo was sent to Russia, Syria and Turkey.

It follows from the commodity lists that almost 40 more rounds from Sevastopol are planned by the end of the year. In addition, according to NDR, Russia has probably already arranged the logistics for transporting grain, which is yet to be seized from Ukrainian territories.

If the plans are implemented, the Russian Federation can receive about $600 million from illegal grain exports, the investigation says.

According to the Ukrainian government, this is about a quarter of the total grain harvest in the territories occupied by Russia.

According to international law expert Paulina Starsky of the University of Freiburg, the misappropriation of grain on a large scale could be considered a war crime.

David Crane of the American University in Washington, for his part, believes that depriving civilians of their livelihoods is as cruel as rocket attacks.

Tags: Ukraine, Russia, war